Afternoon 1/2

[choochoo]

Made an afternoon run. Boat traffic was substantially less than it has been during the warm holidays. Fished my usual mid Roanoke spots. Large schools were absent but did manage to jig 4 stripers to the boat. Sizes were between about 16 and 22. The fish continue to bite best below 50 feet. Here’s a pattern of note that some may find useful. I have a spot in a creek that holds massive clouds of bait on the bottom in 65 FOW. The area is several acres in size and absent of trees. During the day it is hard to find stripers there. I’m not sure where they are. As evening approaches, the bait seems to lift off the bottom and the stripers show up. I don’t even worry about marking them, I just pull into the spot and wait for them. This has worked for four consecutive evening trips. I hardly think I’ve found the only spot on the lake that this is occurring.

For folks that like the green trash, we have found something of a pattern going on for them. In our search for 65’ deep striper water we have inevitably been going over some 50’ points. These deep waters are holding some good largemouths. The broad, gently sloping points seem to be best, but there are some schools of bass mixed with some perch. We caught three in short order yesterday before we broke from our slumming and went back after stripers. And they will hit the same flukes you are jigging for the noble fish. I suck at bass fishing but right now I feel like I could catch them if I wanted to.

I’m in a 20’ procraft fish n ski, gold and black. You’ll see me if you spend much time on the mid Roanoke. Stop and say hello.

[coheasion]

Man - that is some Grade A information right there. Much appreciated!

[kville]

Thank you  very much for sharing.   I do think I have seen your boat now that you described it.  I have been lucky enough to fish SML 3 of the last four weekends, all on your side.   I am in an older Steve Baker 21' Spirit  center console.  It is green with a green colored t-top.  I would love saying hello.   Usually stay at West Lake Inn.   Have had a pretty good December for my standards.  Nothing like your numbers.  Was blessed with a 5th place finish in the December tourney.  All our fish have been coming pulling medium to big shad on boards and freelines (sometimes with some light weights).  I have not dedicated much time to jigs and swimbaits this year.  Sounds like I am missing out.  Have seen numerous schools of fish like you are talking about down deep.  

I have caught some over the years on spoons below the boat.  More on swimbaits casting.    Unless they are schooling, usually a 3/4 or 1 oz jig head with a sassy shad type body.  If they are schooling,  nothing has ever beaten the storm shad swimbait for me.   Sounds like you are using a similar jig head to what I have with a white ice super fluke for a body.  Help me from there.  Are you catching most of them right under the boat as like a vertical spoon?   Are you trying to impart a lot of jigging action or more hold it still in front of them?   Very interested in your help.  You obviously are having success.   Over 75 % of our action is very early and late evening.   Need to figure out how to catch some I am seeing when they are deep.   What type/# line do you prefer for this type of jigging?

Hope to see you on the Roanoke soon for a hello.     

Kville

[choochoo]

I’ll give a run down of my setup and techniques. I’m using a 7’ med to med heavy spinning rod. Fast action a must. I’m using a abu Garcia revo x30. The key here is light weight. When I bought the reel I went into sportsman’s looking to buy the lightest 30/300/3000 series spinning reel. Didn’t buy the cheapest, didn’t buy the most expensive, but bought the right one. It’s been awesome. Spooled with 30 pound braid, and a 20 pound Berkeley transition fluorocarbon leader. I’ll use a 15’ or better leader just for the convenience of not having to frequently retie the double uni connection. Everything in this setup is about sensitivity. When vertical jigging 60’ feet down sensitivity is crucial.

I like a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce jighead. Always white in color, always with a distinct eyeball. My personal favorites are the ones at Captain’s Quarters hanging on the racks as singles. I always use super flukes. There are the old standby colors, but I’ve been experimenting with others. My best results have been with the ones that have the fine glitter flake of various colors in them . Don’t know that it makes any difference, but I always bite a 1/4” or so off the head before rigging. Makes a better fit against the jighead.

I always fish vertically. This way I can see the bait on the fish finder and as a result I rarely snag trees. The exception to the vertical presentation is when I see fish on side imaging that are scattered around 20’ deep or less. These shallow fish hit better on a fluke that is cast and slowly retrieved. It helps to get away from the boat when the fish are shallow. Whether to dead stick or move the bait is toss up any given day. I will say most of the time dead sticking prevails. There are times when you can do no wrong, and times when you can do no right. I will say that I have definitely seen stubborn fish enticed by adding movement. The most underrated of these movements is to just slowly sweep the rod tip from water level to over your head. Often this is all it takes.

The last facet is controversial. That is to tap, or not to tap. I will admit that one year ago there was no bigger skeptic of tapping than me. However, the events of the last few months have won me over to the side of the mediums, witchdoctors, medicinemen, and a voodoo woman named Phyllis. You will find me tapping most of the time. For me it’s no more than tapping the floor with my booted toe.

There’s what I have got on jigging. I have learned most of these things from falling in with the right people. Some things I’ve learned myself. I’m far from the best jigger on the lake. And one day who knows, that may be you.

[keninva]

Thanks for the detailed information.

[clay]

That's awesome stuff hope to give it a try soon. I think we may have seen you if you were out on the 2nd. 

[mwardncsu]

Good stuff Choochoo

[choochoo]

I was out on the afternoon of the 2nd.

[Don]

Curious if anyone using gulp plastics has noticed an increase in bite over jigging other plastics?

[bigun3]

Jan 3, 2020 16:34:55 GMT -5 choochoo said:

The last facet is controversial. That is to tap, or not to tap. I will admit that one year ago there was no bigger skeptic of tapping than me. However, the events of the last few months have won me over to the side of the mediums, witchdoctors, medicinemen, and a voodoo woman named Phyllis. You will find me tapping most of the time. 

  I've been laughed at and teased for years for doing this.     really does work, especially when they are in the trees.

[johnr]

Pull your trolling motor up and let the prop splash around a bit. 😉🤭

[johnr]

One thing I will add to what ChooChoo has said.

Often stripers can be found on or near the bottom this time of year. I was always a believer that the bait must be kept above them to get hit. This is not always the case.

If they’re within 5-10’ of bottom, I will let it fall right thru them and let it smack the bottom. And then let it lay 30 seconds. If nothing, bump it in the bottom some more and then let it lay. Stir up some silt with it. This can be an awesome trigger.

Learned this fishing for deep winter walleyes and have used it successfully for stripers, bass and perch, and to a lesser extent crappie. It still shocks me how quickly they’ll pick it up off the bottom at times.